Academic stress as a risk factor for dental caries.

Objectives: To evaluate the associations between dental caries classified according to the index for decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) and stimulated salivary flow, salivary capacity for oxidation reduction and academic stress in undergraduate dental surgery students aged 18-22 years.

Methods: This research was performed at three time-points: March 2010, September 2010 and March 2011. The sample was composed of 73 students, including 15 male and 58 female subjects.